


kinda hoping you'll stay

by sidetone



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Comfort, Drinking, Fluff and Humor, How Do I Tag, Light-Hearted, Love Confessions, M/M, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:28:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24278134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sidetone/pseuds/sidetone
Summary: Tim's been flirting with Martin for months to no avail, Martin's feeling a bit heartbroken, and Sasha wishes they would just get together already. The solution? Going out for drinks, of course.
Relationships: Martin Blackwood/Tim Stoker
Comments: 6
Kudos: 59





	kinda hoping you'll stay

It wasn’t unusual for the archival assistants to go out on Friday nights, and tonight was no different. After a long, tiresome day of calling up whatever statement giver Jon was looking into today or reading unsettling accounts of the supernatural, the trio was excited to finally have some fun. Tim in particular is quite enthusiastic about the outing, drumming on the steering wheel as he drove Martin and Sasha to the bar. He knew that things were just going to be the same as always, but he wanted to believe that things would change this time. That something’s going to finally happen tonight. He tried not to get his hopes up too high, but it’s a bit hard when he can see Martin smiling and laughing with Sasha in the backseat. That bright, sunny laugh he’d come to love hearing in his time working at the Magnus Institute. 

Things go as they typically do, of course, at least for the first half of the night. Every flirtatious comment seems to fly right over Martin’s head, no matter how obvious he tried to make himself, no matter how many times he commented on how he “couldn’t believe Martin was single”. It was frustrating to no end, and it was hard for Sasha to keep a straight face as Tim _“the hot one”_ Stoker failed time and time again to get Martin’s attention. 

“... So, what’s your plan, hm? At this rate you’re both going to be eldery before he takes the hint.” Sasha teased him as soon as Martin left to use the restroom, earning her an exasperated groan from Tim. She can’t help but laugh a bit, despite feeling for him. “Come on, you’ve got to have something up your sleeve.”

Tim just shook his head, taking a swig of his beer. “It feels like trying to flirt with a brick wall. I’m not even being subtle anymore!” He complained. “I’m starting to think I should just give up on this. At this point I’d bet he’s just actively rejecting me.”

The other scoffs at that, rolling her eyes. “Oh, don’t be like that. You know how Martin is, if he noticed and wanted you to screw off he’d tell you! Just far more politely than that.” She thinks for a moment, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Martin wasn’t coming back yet, before continuing, a mischievous smirk on her lips. “Or maybe it _is_ pointless. Seems like he’s only got eyes for Jon. Maybe he’s an emotional masochist~” She knew that would set him off, and right she was- she could immediately see him get more fired up, his grip on his glass growing tighter at the mention of their boss. 

“I just don’t- I don’t get what he sees in him!” He protested, eyebrows furrowed with annoyance. “He’s such an asshole, _especially_ to Martin. It doesn’t make any goddamn sense! I just wish he would see that-”

“What’re you all going on about now?” And speak of the devil, Martin was sitting back down next to him, causing Tim to quickly shut his mouth. He could see Sasha trying her best to stifle a snicker.

“Oh, nothing. Tim’s just bitching about our boss again, that’s all.” Sasha shrugged, to which Tim just glared. She’d just said that to piss Tim off, of course, but she could see Martin’s expression fall a bit at the mention of Jon. To be honest, he’d been acting a bit down all week, and now it was clear why, if they hadn’t already guessed it earlier.

There was a brief silence that fell over the trio, before Tim gave him a pat on the back, keeping his hand there for a bit longer than he should’ve. “Don’t get yourself down over him of all people, alright?” He tried to cheer him up a bit, before ordering another drink for Martin from the bartender. “Y’know what? Don’t even worry about your bill tonight. Drinks are on me.” It was a stupid move, that was for sure, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to make him feel better.

“Huh? Really, you don’t have to do that for me…” Martin blinked in surprise at the sudden offer, trying to talk him out of it, but Tim was hearing none of it.

“Well sure, I don’t _have_ to. But sometimes friends do that kind of thing for each other. Come on, when’s the last time someone did something nice for you?” He was a bit teasing at that, but he really did wonder, sometimes. Martin didn’t speak much of his social life or even about his family, but from what he did know, the other seemed rather… **Lonely.** No friends outside of work, no family he was close to. He just wanted to show him that someone cared about him, at the very least. 

“Oh, shush... Thank you, though. I’ll pay next time, then.” The corners of Martin’s mouth turned up slightly in a small smile, a bit sheepish in accepting the favor. It was still a bit foreign to him, actually having friends to go out with. It’s not like he’d never had friends before, but… He’d never been all that close with them, never really hung out with them like he did with Tim and Sasha. Still, despite the drinks and chatter, Martin still seemed down in the dumps. 

“Damn, Martin, how much of a jackass was he today?” Sasha asked, and the man just shrugged, slumping in defeat against his chair.

“Not any more so than usual, I suppose.” He joked for a moment, before his smile fell again. “He’s not bad, really, I mean… He’s rude sometimes, but that’s nothing new. I can handle that just fine, it’s just…” He hesitated for a moment, taking a long sip from his drink. “I dunno, it just sucks trying so hard for someone and they just… Don’t even notice, you know.”

“Oh, trust me, I know.” It was funny how Martin could describe exactly how Tim was feeling so well without even realizing it. He was about to say more, joke about how maybe he’d realize what a great guy Martin was if he got his head out of his ass for a moment, but Martin just continued, rambling a bit. The flush on his cheeks paired with that seemed to suggest he was a bit drunk, now. Not severely so, but all the drinks were definitely starting to kick in.

“- And he’s the first guy I’ve ever really tried for. Before I thought maybe it was because I wasn’t trying, but even when I do, it’s just not enough? Not to sound like a downer, but I can’t help feeling like I’ll always be alone, y’know?” There’s a long pause after that, before he slides down even further in his chair, thoroughly dejected. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring the mood down or anything…” 

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I bitch about Jon all the time, don’t I?” Tim patted his shoulder, to which Martin smiled at him a little, letting out a quiet chuckle. “And anyways, you’re a real catch. Really, it’s Jon’s fault if he can’t see that.” 

Finally, that seems to at least flatter the man, Martin’s cheeks flushing a darker red at that as he scratches the back of his head awkwardly. “Ahaha, you really think so? Thank you.”

“Yeah, Tim’s right!” Sasha chimed in, giving him a big smile. She was really, really hoping this was it for Martin’s seemingly hopeless crush on Jon- it just made her feel bad for him, and honestly, it was exhausting listening to both Tim and Martin talk about their unfulfilling love lives. “And honestly, you could do way better than him, in my opinion. I’m sure there are plenty of other guys that would be interested in you- you just have to give them a chance.”

It’s not subtle at all, but of course, being ever-oblivious to Tim’s major crush on him, it flies right over Martin’s head in that respect. Still, it seems to cheer him up quite a bit, nodding and sitting up straighter. “Y-yeah, maybe you’re right. I mean… I should at least give it a shot, I suppose. It couldn’t hurt.” 

“Yeah, that’s the spirit!” She encouraged him- maybe this was just a temporary conviction, only one he’d hold while he was buzzed or worse, but it was a start.

“Yeah, I’m glad too- you weren’t going to get any guys moping around over your boss like that.” Tim teased, causing both Martin and Sasha to let out an offended _“hey!”_

\--- 

The rest of the night went along rather smoothly, just laughing and joking around over many more drinks. Tim was a little antsy as he walked out to his car, the others following close behind. Sasha lived closer, so he was going to drop her off first, and then… It was just going to be Martin and him, alone. He was usually a lot more confident than this, but maybe it was the fact he had a little something planned that was making him anxious. Something very stupid, something that Martin might not even notice, but something nonetheless. 

As soon as they bid Sasha goodnight and she got out of the car, he turned on the playlist, biting his lip nervously and shooting Martin glances out of the corner of his eye to try and see if he’d reacted at all. It wasn’t anything special, really, it was just a playlist of every good love song he could find. He can hear Martin chuckle at some of them, and they even sang together for a few of the more popular ones. It was a lot of fun, actually, and he found himself wishing it didn’t have to end when he pulled up to Martin’s apartment building.

“Um, thank you for driving me. I had a lot of fun tonight.” Martin said quietly, reaching for the handle to get out of the car- Tim knew this was his chance to say something, and he’d be damned if he let the opportunity pass him.

“Wait, Martin-!” He managed to get out, causing Martin to pause his exit and give him a confused look. He turned down the music a bit, clearing his throat nervously. “Um, what you said about being alone earlier…” He started, his heart already racing in his chest as he spoke. “I just wanted to tell you that you… You don’t have to be alone. What I said earlier about thinking you’d be a real catch was true, and…” He trailed off, grip tight on the steering wheel. “I guess what I’m trying to say is… I’m here, if you ever want to take a chance on me, haha...”

He winked, laughing nervously, but the reference to the ABBA song currently playing did nothing to lift the tension in the car. The silence between them was heavy and he could feel Martin’s stare boring into him as he looked out the windshield instead, unable to meet his gaze. _God damn it, he just screwed everything up, didn’t he…? Work on Monday was going to be awkward..._ He turned his head to him to apologize, but before he had the chance to speak Martin was leaning close to him and planting a tender kiss on his lips. 

Tim was frozen for a moment, every muscle in his body tensed as he tried to process the fact that _holy shit that actually worked, this is actually happening-_ but it wasn’t long before he found himself closing his eyes and kissing back. It was a long time before either of them pulled away, and when they finally did they were breathless, their low, shaky breaths the only sound aside from the quiet music still coming from the speakers.

It had been a long time since either of them had this kind of intimacy with another person. Well, at least, for Tim it was the first time in a while it had been genuine, letting his hand rest on the back of Martin’s neck to pull him closer for another kiss. It was a little surreal, honestly- This guy he’s had his eyes set on for months, this guy he thought might spend his entire career pining for their boss- _Martin_ of all people had gone in for the first kiss here? He never would’ve expected him to make the first move in that sense, but hey, he wasn’t complaining. 

They might’ve stayed lost in that moment for an hour, maybe even more, holding each other close as things got a bit heated, but it wasn’t long before Tim moved his arm the wrong way, and - 

**\- HONK.**

_“Fuck-!”_

The car horn promptly scared the both of them into pulling away, Martin hitting his head on the roof of the car as he jumped in surprise. There was a moment of silence where the two of them just sat there, their hearts racing as they tried to catch their breath. Then Martin let out that adorable little giggle of his, and it wasn’t long before they were just laughing about it together. Tim found it hard not to at least smile when he saw that look on Martin’s face- He was a very cute guy, after all, and his giddiness was contagious.

“So, uh, are we dating or what?” Tim asked as soon as the laughter died down, the butterflies in his stomach making him feel like a teenager all over again. “You kinda started snogging me before we could get around to that.” 

Martin chuckled a bit at that, looking embarrassed. “Ah, well, how could I not after your ABBA joke there?” He swallowed nervously, like the reality that he’d just been kissing Tim was just now setting in. “But yeah, I would be happy to! If you want to, of course.”

“Martin Blackwood. I made an entire playlist for you. I’ve been hitting on you for months now. Of _course_ I want to date you.”

“Ahaha, seriously? Jeez, I didn’t even know the playlist for me specifically…” Martin giggled a bit, before clearing his throat again. “I’m uh, sorry I didn’t notice you were flirting with me for so long… I guess I was just too focused on, well…” 

“You don’t need to worry about it, really. I probably should’ve just said something sooner.” 

“Um… You can stay the night, if you want.”

Tim blinked at that, a bit stunned- Wow, Martin was just full of surprises tonight, huh? Of course, when Martin saw the expression on his face he quickly got frazzled, shaking his head.

“I-I mean- not like that-!” He sputtered, his face growing red. “I just, uh- I mean, unless… Oh god, what am I saying? I just… Don’t want to be alone, that’s all.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at that, turning the car engine off and removing the keys. “No, no, I get what you’re saying. We can just watch a movie or something, if you want. I don’t mind, really.”

“Ah, okay-! Thank you, Tim.”

They got out of the car, and as they headed up to Martin’s apartment they found themselves intertwining their fingers, holding hands all the way back. It was warm, a comforting feeling, and for the first time in forever, Martin didn’t feel alone.

**Author's Note:**

> martim is so incredibly underrated my LORD  
> anyways first time writing any of these characters so i hope i did em some justice lol


End file.
